Structure-Activity Relationships for Some Diamine, Triamine and
Schiff Base Derivatives and Their Copper(II) Complexes

1Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Dept. of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

2Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria

3Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgaan Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria

4Laboratory of Biochemisty, Dept. of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

5Theagenion Cancer Institute, Greece

Received07 Oct 1998

Accepted20 Oct 1998

Abstract

Ethylenediamine (en), putrescine (pu), diethylenetriamine (dien), dipropylenetriamine (dpta),
spermidine (spmd) and their CuII compounds as well as the Schiff bases with 2-furaldehyde (dienOO), 2-
thiophenecarboxaldehyde (dienSS) and pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde (dienNN) of dien and that of dpta with 2-
thiophenecarboxaldehyde (dptaSS), were prepared and characterised. They were tested against Bacillus substilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris and Xanthomonas campestris as antibacterial reagents, the highest activity being exhibited by Cu(dptaSS)(NO3)2 complex,
which acts as antibiotic. In the antiproliferative tests (vs. T47D,L929 and BHK21/c13 cell lines) the best results
were obtained with Cu(dptaSS)2+ and Cu(dienSS)2+. Electronic structure calculations gave for dptaSS and
dienSS the higher negative charges on the N atoms. The counter-ions (Br-, NO3- and SO42-) play an important
role by modulating the reagent's selectivity versus the bacteria [Gram(+) or Gram(-)], but they have no effect
on the antiproliferative activity.

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